Realtors vie for Osuna listing; delinquent fees up for talks

RANCHO SANTA FE — The Association Board dealt with a number of business items on the April 19 agenda before adjourning outside for a presentation by the new owners of The Inn At Rancho Santa Fe. After the presentation, the remainder of the meeting was held indoors.During the first part of the meeting, Ivan Holler, Covenant administrator, told the board that the green curbs in the Village will be repainted on May 8 and May 9, so residents may want to be aware of the inconvenience on those days.

At the meeting, Holler also told the board there have been seven responses to the Request For Proposals from realty firms who wish to be chosen to sell the private home and surrounding property on the Osuna Ranch.

“We will send those to the finance committee,” he said. The finance committee will narrow down the firms and then send the decision to the Association for approval.

Holler also introduced Chris Livoni, the new assistant planner for the Association. Livoni is an experienced project manager and planner with a degree in construction management from Northern Arizona University.

Steve Comstock, director of finance, continues collection procedures against people who are delinquent in their Association fees.

Comstock requested the board’s approval for placing liens on the properties.

“It takes letters, phone calls and certified mail to get to this point,” he said.

Pete Smith, Association manager, said those who may be struggling with the fees could come in person and discuss it with Covenant officials.

When liens are placed on a property, the owner may not complete a sale of the property until the delinquent fees are paid.

In other Association business, Smith told the board the two candidates for the board are scheduled to speak at the annual meeting to be held May 10. The meeting begins at 5:45 p.m., but attendees can meet the candidates beginning at 5 p.m.

Because there are only two positions open and two directors leaving, Rochelle Putnam and Craig McAllister will not have to go through the formal election process. They will take the places of Jack Queen and Dick Doughty, whose terms are expiring.

The Association then discussed ways of getting more people interested in various committees in the Covenant.

“We want to figure out how to open it up and get more participation,” Holler said.

Contributing to the problem are the size of committees and the staggering of the terms of the members.

An example is the Roads and Transportation Committee. It was nearly accidentally disbanded because two committees had merged into one and every member’s term ended at the same time, expect for one.

When the committee positions were advertised, the response was disappointing.

“We have had only one taker,” Holler said.

Holler said the committees are vital to the community as they provide input from the community, they provide the board with recommendations on technical or policy issues and they increase community involvement.

“We wouldn’t want to have less community participation,” board member Anne Feighner said.